Home Office

Migrant Workers: Food

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the food and drink sector's proposal for a covid recovery visa scheme.

Kevin Foster: The Points Based System already provides for a range of roles in the food and drink sector, including roles such as Butchers, subject to the rules and requirements of the system being met, including on salary.Beyond the Points Based Systems, employers can recruit those with general work rights including the millions of people who have been granted status under the EU Settlement Scheme, those who have arrived via our settlement route for British National (Overseas) normally resident in Hong Kong and their households, those who have arrived via a family visa and those in the UK under our Youth Mobility Schemes. They have full access to the UK labour market and are free to work in the UK and can undertake any role.But recognising the extraordinary circumstances facing businesses currently, Government is providing visas as a time-limited, temporary measure for the food sector until longer term measures to improve the supply of skills domestically. start to have an impact. This includes visas for up to:• 4,700 HGV food drivers who will be able to arrive from late October and leave by 28 February 2022 and;• 5,500 poultry workers will arrive from late October and stay up until 31 December 2021.However we must see long-term solutions delivered by employers through improved testing and hiring, with better pay and working conditions, as immigration routes do not provide a guarantee of being able to recruit in a competitive global market for skilled workers.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Construction: Vacancies

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of skills shortages in the construction industry on progress in delivering the Government's house building and infrastructure programmes.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps the Government is taking to support recruitment to the construction industry in response to skills shortages in that sector.

Lee Rowley: The Government continues to review matters related to skills on a regular basis. At the current time, output in the construction sector, with regard to Government-funded infrastructure or housing projects, continues to be solid. Statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that construction output recovered quickly during 2020, and has been at a similar level to that before the pandemic since March 2021. There is also a strong pipeline of demand. Between Q2 2020, and Q2 2021, orders for new housing increased by 154%, and for infrastructure by 98%. The Government is working closely with the construction industry to ensure that it can attract, retain and develop the skilled workforce it needs for the future. This includes the introduction of a Talent Retention Scheme, which is now being taken forward by industry, to help workers move into construction jobs; and work with the Construction Industry Training Board and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) to ensure effective and appropriate support for skills development.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health: Disadvantaged

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the level of funding awarded to Clinical Commissioning Groups on regional health inequalities.

Maggie Throup: NHS England continues to target a higher share of funding towards geographies with high health inequalities as outlined in the 2021/22 Planning Guidance.The new Health and Care Bill will form new integrated care systems to ensure the healthcare system is effectively managing population health and tackling health inequalities. The Bill will ensure that duties previously applied to clinical commissioning groups to reduce health inequalities will also apply to the newly formed integrated care boards (ICBs). The reforms will place a greater emphasis on population health outcomes and health inequalities. NHS England will continue to have a national level duty and ICBs will tackle health inequalities over a larger area, working with a range of partners including local authorities.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on the delivery of covid-19 vaccinations for people who have a needle phobia.

Maggie Throup: There have been no specific recent discussions.

Influenza: Disease Control

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to prevent the spread of the winter flu; and whether he plans to introduce public health measures to prevent its spread in 2021.

Maggie Throup: We are continuing with an extended flu vaccination programme for the 2021/22 flu season and over 35 million people will be eligible for a free seasonal flu vaccine. This year includes a continued offer of vaccination for 50 to 64 year olds, and the programme is being extended to additional cohorts in secondary school to help prevent disease transmission.The National Health Service continues to recommend hand washing, using tissues to catch coughs and sneezes and disposing of tissues as quickly as possible to help reduce the risk of flu. However, vaccination remains a cost-effective measure to protect those at risk and reduce hospitalisations.

Coronavirus: Screening

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will list the organisations participating in the daily covid-19 testing pilot.

Maggie Throup: The organisations participating in the workplaces daily contact testing pilot evaluation scheme are as follows:- John Lewis;- Jaguar Land Rover;- Primula (Kavli);- Northumbria Water;- Oxford Biomedica;- Greencore;- Co-op - Castlewood;- British Steel;- Longley Farm;- Agrial Fresh Produce;- Pilgrim’s;- Moy Park;- AB Foods Silver Spoon;- Danish Crown Pork;- Apetito;- Network Rail;- Transport for London;- London Heathrow;- Border Force; and- Cabinet Office Building 5.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Peter Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the recognition of covid-19 vaccines administered in Saudi Arabia for use on the NHS Covid pass.

Maggie Throup: Work is ongoing to determine which non-United Kingdom vaccines we might be confident to recognise, including those administered in Saudi Arabia. A pilot scheme to enable some UK residents vaccinated overseas to demonstrate their vaccination status through the NHS COVID Pass will be launched in England from the end of September. Further development will be undertaken once the pilot is underway.

Contraceptives

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he made of the adequacy of contraceptive funding required to meet need (a) nationally and (b) in Kingston upon Hull North constituency.

Maggie Throup: No recent assessment has been made. In 2021/22 the national Public Health Grant to local authorities in England is £3.234 billion. The Grant supports the delivery of their public health functions, including contraceptive services. It is for individual local authorities to determine how funding is spent to meet local population health needs.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to allow patients with primary care records of covid-19 vaccines received overseas to view their vaccine status in the NHS App where those vaccines have been recorded by a general practice with no access to a point of care system; and if he will make a statement.

Maggie Throup: Vaccination events not recorded within one of the English vaccination programme point of care solutions do not appear in the national vaccination database. In line with the development of the overseas vaccination service, general practitioners (GPs) will be directed to refer patients to this service that will be available at a number of English vaccination sites from October. This will support those who have been vaccinated overseas and who require a NHS COVID Pass. There are currently no plans for GP foundation IT clinical systems to send data into the vaccination database. However, some of these private system suppliers are developing point of care systems that could in future be included in the national vaccination programme.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Females

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities plans to take prioritise women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare, including tackling the unmet need for contraception.

Maggie Throup: The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) will be established on 1 October 2021. The OHID will develop a new Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy planned for publication later this year and will consider issues related to women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare, including addressing the unmet need for contraception.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which companies and organisations (a) are taking and (b) have previously taken part in the covid-19 daily contact testing pilot scheme.

Maggie Throup: The organisations with sites approved for the daily contact testing workplace evaluation are as follows:- John Lewis;- Jaguar Land Rover;- Primula (Kavli) ;- Northumbria Water;- Oxford Biomedica;- Greencore;- Co-op - Castlewood;- British Steel;- Longley Farm;- Agrial Fresh Produce;- Pilgrim’s;- Moy Park;- AB Foods Silver Spoon;- Danish Crown Pork;- Apetito;- Network Rail;- Transport for London;- London Heathrow;- Border Force; and- Cabinet Office. Organisations which have previously piloted daily contact testing are as follows:- Tata Steel;- Barts Health NHS Trust;- Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust;- London Ambulance Service NHS Trust;- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;- Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;- South Wales Police; and- Asda. The following workplaces were also involved in daily contact testing as part of the Liverpool COVID-SMART Community Testing Pilot:- Merseyside Police;- Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service; and- Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. In addition, some small private care providers were also involved in the Liverpool Community Testing Pilot. However, we are unable to provide this information for data protection reasons. Due to the size of these organisations, there is the possibility that individuals could be identified.

Travel Restrictions: Turkey

Zarah Sultana: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the evidence that supports the placement of Turkey on the covid-19 red list for international travel.

Maggie Throup: Decisions to place countries on the ‘red list’ are taken by the Government, informed by evidence including the Joint Biosecurity Centre risk assessments alongside other factors. We are unable to provide the information requested as the advice, evidence and methodology that informs these decisions relates to on-going development of Government policy. However, further information on the data informing international travel risk assessments is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/data-informing-international-travel-risk-assessments.You will find further information on the methodology for international travel risk assessments here at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-risk-assessment-methodology-to-inform-international-travel-traffic-light-system.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what targeted support his Department is putting in place during stage 4 of the coronavirus roadmap from 19 July 2021 for people with serious underlying health conditions.

Maggie Throup: The shielding programme has now ended in England. People who were previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable will not be advised to shield or follow specific national guidance. The same guidance for the general population should now be followed.Those who remain concerned should discuss any risks with their National Health Service clinician.

Infectious Diseases: Disease Control

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2021 to Question 16063 on Disease Control, for what reason he cannot reveal information that relates to the formulation or development of Government policy; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2021 to Question 16063 on Disease Control, for what reason publication at the current time of further information on the pandemic preparedness Exercise Alice of 2016 would be likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs; at what time and for what reasons publication would be less likely to prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs; and if he will make a statement.

Maggie Throup: The Department has robust plans for responding to disease outbreaks that are regularly tested through preparedness exercises and we recognise the public interest in making this information available. Exercise Alice tested preparedness for handling an outbreak of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). As both MERS and COVID-19 are caused by coronaviruses, the Department assesses that the publication of further information related to Exercise Alice could lead to false parallels being drawn between the hypothetical response to the MERS outbreak scenario in Exercise Alice and the response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. This could undermine faith in and support for the National Health Service, resulting in negative health impacts through a possible reduction in care-seeking behaviour.The Department is currently reviewing its decision to withhold the Exercise Alice report. A number of factors will influence this decision, including the current stage of the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Social Services: Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will pilot a programme of supported conversations for people working in social care to determine how a greater take up of the Covid19 vaccine could be achieved.

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he made an assessment of the potential merits of providing supported conversations to care home staff to increase covid-19 vaccine take up, before vaccination was made mandatory for those staff.

Maggie Throup: We have made resources on supported conversations available, including webinars and communications to address the concerns of those who may be hesitant to receive the vaccine. The ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination of people working or deployed in care homes: operational guidance’ includes a toolkit which can be used to support conversations with trusted peers or medical professionals.

Travel: Quarantine

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when his Department plans to review its current guidance on the need for individuals to quarantine after arriving from France.

Maggie Throup: From 8 August passengers returning from France who have been fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine in the United Kingdom, United States of America or certain European countries for 14 days do not need to quarantine or take a day eight test.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment has he made of the effect the cancellation of the Valneva covid-19 vaccine order during the trial of that vaccine on people (a) who are part of that trial who may or may not have received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine but do not yet know which vaccine they received and (b) who wish to remain as part of that trial.

Maggie Throup: The cancellation of the Valneva supply contract does not directly impact the clinical trials which are ongoing. Clinical trial participants who received a Valneva vaccination as part of their trial will continue to be able to prove their vaccination status and will be treated as fully vaccinated in domestic settings and at the United Kingdom border.

Travel: Quarantine

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidential basis is for the decision that adults who have received both doses of a covid-19 vaccine in the UK will need to isolate for 10 days when arriving from France.

Maggie Throup: From 8 August, arrivals from or transited through France in the last 10 days who have been fully vaccinated under the United Kingdom vaccination programme approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency do not need to quarantine. They are still expected to take a day two test.

Coronavirus: Screening

Steven Bonnar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the data collected by the ZOE COVID Symptom Study which found that runny nose, headache, sneezing and sore throat are the most common symptoms of covid-19 in fully vaccinated people and children, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of expanding the list of symptoms which trigger the need for a covid-19 test.

Maggie Throup: Experts continue to keep the symptoms under review as our understanding of the virus develops. We assess the data from the COVID Symptom Study in addition to other surveillance studies and will update our guidance if necessary.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has any plans to impose temporary lockdowns in October 2021.

Maggie Throup: The success of the vaccination programme means that stringent economic and social restrictions may not be needed to prevent unsustainable pressure on the National Health Service this autumn. The risk of COVID-19 is now being managed through pharmaceutical interventions like vaccines and antivirals, including vaccines for those aged 12 to 15 years old, continuing the Test, Trace and Isolate programme, and managing risks at the border.

NHS Test and Trace: Consultants

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average daily cost is of a consultant employed to support NHS Test and Trace; and how many consultants were employed to support NHS Test and Trace on 1 September 2021.

Maggie Throup: As of 1 September 2021, there were 1,707 consultants in NHS Test and Trace.We are unable to provide information on the average cost of consultants as this is commercially sensitive.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment his Department has made of the support that is available to meet the needs of clinically extremely vulnerable people who are choosing to shield since the move to stage 4 of the coronavirus roadmap on 19 July 2021.

Maggie Throup: The shielding programme has now ended in England, meaning that people who were previously considered clinically extremely vulnerable will not be advised to shield in the future or follow specific national guidance. The same general guidance for the whole population should now be followed. Those who remain concerned should discuss any risks their National Health Service clinician.

Travel: Quarantine

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will (a) clarify the rationale and (b) make available the data that informed the decision for people returning from France regardless of vaccination status to quarantine for 10 days in the UK from 19 July 2021.

Maggie Throup: As of 19 July, GISAID data showed there have been to date 2,959 cases of the Beta variant in France or 5.2% of all cases, compared to 1,052 cases of the Beta variant in the United Kingdom or 0.2% of all cases, 44 cases or 0.5% of all cases in Greece and 621 cases or 1.4% of all cases in Spain since the start of the pandemic. As of 14 July, more sequences uploaded to the GISAID international database in the last three to four months were attributed to the Beta variant in France, than in Spain or Greece. The precautionary measure of the current quarantine rules and testing for travellers into the UK from France was meant to significantly reduce the risk of importing cases of the Beta variant, preventing community clusters or outbreaks.From 8 August, arrivals from and those who have transited through France in the last ten days who have been fully vaccinated under the UK vaccination programme approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency do not need to quarantine. They are still expected to take a day two test.

Coronavirus

Stephen Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the rate of transmission of covid-19 between (a) people who know each other and (b) people who do not know each other.

Maggie Throup: Public Health England has not made a comparative assessment. We continue to advise that members of the public continue to wear face coverings in crowded and enclosed spaces where they are likely to come into contact with those they do not regularly meet.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has ordered doses of the covid-19 monoclonal antibody treatment Sotrovimab produced by GSK.

Maggie Throup: The Government has entered into an agreement with GlaxoSmithKline for the procurement of 100,008 doses of sotrovimab.This procurement is subject to independent approval of sotrovimab by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency who will assess the medicine for safety and efficacy for treatment of COVID-19.

Travel: Quarantine

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason a resident of a quarantine hotel who has had rats in their room is required to pay for the full price for that accommodation.

Maggie Throup: We are aware of one case of vermin across the Managed Quarantine Service estate and a refund is being issued to the guest affected.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has (a) funded or (b) has plans to fund the development of the antiviral treatment for covid-19 Pfizer’s PF-07321332/Ritonavir.

Maggie Throup: We have monitored company trials and development of a number of antivirals including Pfizer’s PF-07321332/Ritonavir but are not funding development. We are in contact with a number of manufacturers to ensure that United Kingdom patients have access to COVID-19 antivirals as evidence emerges.

Coronavirus: Drugs

Mr Steve Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is (a) funding or (b) plans to fund the development of emerging covid-19 antibody therapy drugs (i) Ronapreve, (ii) Sotrovimab and (iii) AstraZeneca’s AZD7442.

Maggie Throup: We are monitoring clinical trials and development of monoclonal antibodies including Ronapreve, Sotrovimab and AZD7442.Ronapreve was part of the Government supported RECOVERY trial and in August the Medicines and althcare products Regulatory Agency approved Ronapreve as the first neutralising monoclonal antibody combination product for use in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. While we have not funded the development of Sotrovimab or AZD7442, company-funded trials for AZD7442 were prioritised by the National Institute for Health Research as urgent public health COVID-19 studies.

Smoking

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the answer of 27 July 2021 to Question 36588 on Tobacco, if he will publish his planned timetable for publication of the Tobacco Control Plan for England.

Maggie Throup: The Department is currently in the process of drafting the new Tobacco Control Plan working closely with Public Health England and other Government departments. We expect the final Tobacco Control Plan to be published by the end of the year.

Coronavirus: Care Homes

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department made of the reasons for vaccine hesitancy in advance of mandating the covid-19 vaccine in care homes.

Maggie Throup: The adult social care workforce has a higher percentage of women and people from ethnically diverse communities and evidence shows that people in these groups are more likely to be hesitant about taking the COVID-19 vaccine. The reasons for hesitancy in these groups could include lack of knowledge about the vaccine, misinformation and perceptions of equality and discrimination. There is evidence that women may also face more barriers to accessing the vaccine.We are working to give health and social care workers information about the vaccine in a format that connects with them, to share information from trusted, local leaders who understand people’s specific circumstances and to ensure there is appropriate outreach from clinicians and their vaccine services.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to mandate the NHS, integrated care systems and local authorities to (a) commission collaboratively and (b) adhere to nationally-recognised quality standards on sexual and reproductive health.

Maggie Throup: The Department is currently developing a Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, which is planned for publication later this year. The Strategy will consider issues related to collaborative commissioning and national sexual and reproductive health standards across the National Health Service and local authorities. The Health and Care Bill will facilitate collaborative commissioning by establishing statutory integrated care boards and requiring the creation of integrated care partnerships. The proposed legislation also seeks to remove barriers to collaborative commissioning by permitting a wider set of arrangements for joint commissioning, pooling of budgets and delegation of functions.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on arrangements for UK citizens to access the EU covid-19 pass.

Maggie Throup: Following technical discussions with the European Union, we have now applied to join the EU’s Digital COVID Certificate scheme. This will enable digital verification of COVID-19 certification. In the meantime, passengers can continue to demonstrate their status via physical checks.

Food: Labelling

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of Food Standards Agency oversight of the provision of allergen information by home-based food businesses.

Maggie Throup: The Department has made no such assessment. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a non-Ministerial department which acts independently as a food safety regulator. The FSA has responsibility for the regulation of food allergen information and issuing guidance to food businesses and local authorities on the proper implementation and monitoring of allergen information regulations.   Oversight of business compliance with requirements on the provision of allergen information lies with local authority food officers. Local authority food officers will assess a food business’ level of compliance with the allergen information requirements and provide advice or take corrective action where non-compliance is identified.

Influenza: Vaccination

Damien Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure there is a sufficient supply of flu vaccinations for elderly and clinically vulnerable citizens.

Maggie Throup: General practitioners and community pharmacists are responsible for ordering flu vaccine to deliver the national flu programme to adults, including the elderly and clinically vulnerable. We have issued guidance asking all providers to order sufficient vaccine to at least equal the levels of uptake achieved in 2020/21. The Department is also in regular contact with vaccine manufacturers to ensure there are sufficient amounts of flu vaccines available in the system to vaccinate eligible cohorts.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what figures his Department holds on the amount spent by local authorities in England on providing counselling advice and support for people affected by alcohol abuse and dependency.

Maggie Throup: The information is not held in the format requested.

Mental Health Services and Social Services: Liability

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the CQC, NHS, local authorities, care providers and other relevant organisations are co-operating effectively to strengthen the discharge of their collective oversight and duty-of-care responsibilities to minimise the risks of harm to people in (a) mental health, (b) learning disability and (c) other care settings.

Gillian Keegan: NHS England and NHS Improvement’s Mental Health Safety Improvement programme focuses on improving patient safety for those who use inpatient mental health and learning disability services. This work brings together individuals and organisations concerned with safer care and improved outcomes in mental health.We are consulting on new duties to ensure the adequate supply of community services, placing Care, Education and Treatment Reviews on a statutory footing and putting in place a single point of Ministerial oversight. In any setting, local authorities must safeguard people with care and support needs who are at risk, in cooperation with the Care Quality Commission, care providers and other relevant organisations. These duties have remained through the pandemic and we have supported the sector with guidance, training and increased funding for local authorities.

Travel: Quarantine

Sam Tarry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether British citizens residing overseas who have been double vaccinated abroad and want to return to the UK from amber list countries need to quarantine after returning from those countries; and what steps he is taking to alleviate the need for those people to have to enter quarantine on arrival in the UK.

Maggie Throup: Currently, British citizens returning to England must have received the full course of COVID-19 vaccination under any of the following programmes in order to qualify for ‘amber list’ countries relaxed inbound travel measures and need not quarantine:- A United Kingdom vaccination programme approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA);- A UK vaccine programme overseas, approved by the MHRA;- A vaccination programme authorised by the European Medicines Agency or Swissmedic;- A vaccination programme authorised by the Food and Drug Administration and must also be resident in the United States of America.From 4 October, the ‘red’, ‘amber’ and ‘green’ traffic light system will be replaced with a single ‘red list’ of countries and the rest of the world. The rules for travel from countries and territories not on the ‘red list’ will depend on the international arrivals’ vaccination status. Fully vaccinated British citizens residing in seventeen countries and territories will be able to travel to the UK without the need to quarantine.

Social Services: Vulnerable Adults

Debbie Abrahams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authorities where people are placed in care are undertaking their statutory Care Act 2014 Section 42 safeguarding duties consistently.

Gillian Keegan: We work collaboratively with leaders in local government to support sector-led improvement in safeguarding practice and fund the Care and Health Improvement Programme. We have supported experts including the Social Care Institute for Excellence to provide information and resources on safeguarding. The Health and Care Bill will introduce a new duty for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to assess local authorities’ delivery of their adult social care duties, including safeguarding. The Department is working closely with the CQC and other stakeholders to design a system which will ensure the best possible outcomes for care users.

Loans: Quarantine

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to make available long-term zero interest loans to people who cannot afford the upfront costs of managed covid-19 hotel quarantine but need to travel to a red list country for the purposes of (a) seeing a terminally ill loved one, (b) attending a funeral and (c) other compassionate grounds to be assessed on a case by case basis; and if he will make a statement.

Maggie Throup: For those who will suffer severe financial hardship as a result of paying for the full cost of managed quarantine before travel, hardship arrangements may be available if their travel has been for essential purposes. This includes repayment plans, where the cost of managed quarantine is paid for in monthly instalments and in exceptional circumstances, fee reductions or waivers may be granted. Individuals will not be charged interest on repayment plans.

Mental Health Services: Health and Social Care Levy

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Health and Social Care Levy allocation process will adhere to the commitments of the Mental Health Investment Standard.

Gillian Keegan: The NHS Long Term Plan reiterated our commitment to achieving parity of esteem between mental and physical health, including through maintaining the Mental Health Investment Standard. Further details on how the Health and Social Care Levy will be allocated will be set out in due course.

Smoking: Health Education

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State and Health and Social Care, with reference to the Government's data on vaping published on 4 March 2020 and 23 February 2021 which show that the number of people vaping in England has plateaued, whether he plans to increase communications to smokers on ways to quit tobacco, including the use of less harmful alternatives to smoking.

Maggie Throup: Public Health England’s smoking cessation marketing activity, including the current ‘Stoptober’ campaign, signposts to a range of quitting support such as replacing tobacco with electronic cigarettes. The updated National Health Service Quit Smoking app launched in advance of Stoptober will continue beyond the campaign with ongoing development planned.In 2022, the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will publish an independent review of the up-to-date evidence on the safety of e-cigarettes. The review will include information about the relative harm of smoking and vaping. New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to be published in November 2021, will advise the public and health professionals on the most effective ways of stopping smoking and reducing its burden of death and disease.

Chronic Illnesses: Mental Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of involving mental health practitioners in the care of people with (a) Parkinson's and (b) other long-term conditions.

Gillian Keegan: NHS England commissions specialised neurological care for people with Parkinson’s and has stated that such care should include access to psychologists to manage symptoms like anxiety and depression. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s best practice for the management of long term conditions includes how mental health professionals should be involved, where appropriate.

Travel: Quarantine

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what evidence his Department used to inform the quarantine rules for people travelling internationally without a double covid-19 vaccination; and if he will publish that evidence.

Maggie Throup: Decisions to inform quarantine rules are taken by the Government is based on the latest scientific advice, alongside wider public health factors. We are unable to provide the specific advice and evidence which informs these decisions as it relates to the ongoing development of Government policy.

Chronic Illnesses: Mental Health Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to help ensure that mental health support is integrated with physical healthcare support for people with (a) Parkinson's and (b) other long-term conditions.

Gillian Keegan: The National Health Service recognises that two thirds of people with a common mental health problem also have a long term physical health condition. Integrating Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services with physical health services can provide better support and achieve better outcomes. The priorities for developing IAPT - Long Term Conditions services have been established to support integrated pathways for people with long term conditions, including Parkinson’s. All clinical commissioning groups are expected to commission IAPT services integrated into physical healthcare pathways.

Social Services

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 7 September 2021 to Question 37509 NHS: Emergencies, for what reason the Government does not collect Operational Pressures Escalation Levels data in order to monitor pressures across the care system.

Gillian Keegan: Operational Pressures Escalation Levels (OPEL) is a method used by the National Health Service to measure the stress, demand and pressure a hospital is under rather than social care systems.Care Quality Commission-registered care homes and home care providers in the adult social care sector are monitored through the Capacity Tracker which collects data on workforce, personal protective equipment status, designated setting vacancies, infection prevention and control measures in place and vaccine rates for COVID-19 and flu. The Department also works with local authorities and social care providers to share data via its dashboard and regional teams to ensure that systems are prepared if pressures on services rise. If a trust is raised to OPEL 3 or 4, any potential resulting pressures on social care could be reflected in these monitoring systems.

Social Services: Task Forces

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, wither reference to the debate on Covid-19: Effect on retirement communities held in Westminster Hall on 1 July 2021, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a task force to expand housing-with-care options.

Gillian Keegan: We are engaging closely with the sector and a range of stakeholders to consider the merits of different models, including proposals for a cross-Government taskforce.

Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of life for those suffering with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

Gillian Keegan: In 2019/20, NHS England and NHS Improvement funded a pilot project to improve access, assessment and treatment for children presenting with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Learning from this pilot has been disseminated to community eating disorder teams in England.In 2020, NHS England and NHS Improvement commissioned the research charity Autistica to produce an ‘ARFID and Autistic People’ briefing paper, based on a systematic review of research literature. This informed two awareness raising webinars for staff from the eating disorders charity BEAT and commissioners, clinicians and providers, to consider how autistic children and young people with ARFID could benefit from eating disorder support and services.

NHS: Pensions

Anne Marie Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on its work on NHS pensions to remove disincentives for professionals to stay in their professions for longer.

Edward Argar: The Government addressed the annual allowance taper issue in March 2020 by increasing thresholds by £90,000, removing all staff with earnings below £200,000 from scope. This restores the incentive to continue working or take on additional work for the majority of previously affected staff, with an estimated 96% of general practitioners and 98% of consultants now out of scope of the taper based on their National Health Service earningsNHS England and NHS Improvement are implementing a programme to help employers to engage with senior staff to improve understanding of pension tax and to address concerns. NHS Employers has published guidance on the approaches employers can take locally to support staff who wish to continue working up to and beyond retirement age.

Eating Disorders: Mental Health Services

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department monitors waiting times for treatment for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what monitoring his Department undertakes on demand for treatment for avoidant restrictive food intake disorder.

Gillian Keegan: We have established the first waiting time standard to improve access to treatment for children and young people in need of eating disorder treatment in England, including avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, to allow 95% to start treatment within one week if urgent and within four weeks if routine. However, it is not possible to separately identify the different types of eating disorders within this data.   Data on waiting times and demand for adult eating disorder services is not currently collected centrally.

Skin Diseases: Health Services

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish (a) the latest data on waiting times for a dermatology appointment in England and (b) comparable data for the last three years.

Edward Argar: The following table shows the median waiting times in the last three years for National Health Service dermatology services in England.MonthMedian waiting time in weeksJuly 20186.1August 20186.7September 20187.2October 20186.9November 20186.9December 20187.8January 20197.6February 20196.1March 20196.2April 20196.6May 20196.9June 20196.6July 20196.5August 20197.4September 20197.6October 20197.7November 20198December 20198.8January 20208.7February 20207.4March 20208.9April 202012.2May 202014.9June 202016.6July 202012.9August 20209.5September 20209October 20209November 20208.7December 20209.7January 202110.5February 202110.4March 20218April 20217.7May 20217.7June 20217.6July 20218.4 Source:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/rtt-waiting-times/

Hyperactivity: Mental Health Services

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of implementing (a) a single, established dataset to monitor referrals for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessments and treatments and (b) b) a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of ADHD to the point of diagnosis.

Gillian Keegan: We have no plans to do so. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence do not recommend a maximum waiting time standard from referral for an assessment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to the point of diagnosis.

Hospitals: Construction

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether NHS Trusts including Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust have been asked to submit cheaper proposals for their proposed hospital rebuilds.

Edward Argar: Organisations have been asked to submit a range of options for their new hospital schemes, with individual allocations for schemes to be determined once the respective full business cases have been reviewed and agreed.The information requested from Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust will provide an objective evidence base for decision making at the business case stage. The central programme team are working with all lead organisations involved to ensure that schemes realise value for money, sustainability and digitalisation.

Coronavirus: Mental Health and Suicide

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of the covid-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns on the (a) mental health and (b) suicide rates of young people.

Gillian Keegan: We continually monitor the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic may have had on the mental health of children and young people as new evidence becomes available. There has been no rise in the number of registered suicides in England in 2020 compared to previous years, including amongst under 25 year olds, based on the latest available data. However, it remains too early to understand the full long-term impact of the pandemic on mental health and suicide rates among young people.

Health Services: Foreign Nationals

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has plans to increase the amount of money recovered from foreign nationals using the NHS.

Edward Argar: The Department has no current plans to increase the rates charged to overseas visitors for National Health Service care. However, we continue to work with NHS England and NHS Improvement to help trusts improve overseas charging processes and increase debt recovery.

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: Medical Treatments

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve NHS treatment provision for patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Edward Argar: NHS England is working with local hospitals through clinical network arrangements to improve service provision and ensure care is close to where patients reside. NHS England commissions paediatric and adult services for patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, with specialist paediatric endocrinology services providing the diagnosis and management of children and young people

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the technical specifications for the iProov vaccine passport in respect of that system comparing facial data with anonymised photo IDs held for the NHS app.

Gillian Keegan: The company iProov does not provide a vaccine passport service and therefore no technical specification exists that could be shared. In addition, their service does not compare facial data. It scans a user-submitted photograph in real-time, as part of identity checks when registering to use NHS Login to gain access to health records or personal information. NHS Login, under strict controls, compares this image and an image captured from a user’s ID document, such as a driving licence or passport. No information is either shared or stored within iProov or the NHS App.

Respiratory System: Medical Equipment

Chris Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of the US Food & Drug Administration Safety Communication entitled Flexible Bronchoscopes and Updated Recommendations for Reprocessing, issued on June 25th, 2021; and what discussions he has had with (a) his US counterpart, (b) the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and (c) relevant stakeholders on the potential implementation of US FDA recommendations in the UK.

Edward Argar: There are currently no plans to implement the United States Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendations in the United Kingdom. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware of the FDA’s ‘Flexible Bronchoscopes and Updated Recommendations for Reprocessing: FDA Safety Communication’, issued on 25 June 2021. While there have been no specific discussions the FDA’s recommendations broadly align to the UK guidelines and work practices set out in ‘Management and decontamination of flexible endoscopes’ Health Technical Memorandum, published in 2016 and regularly updated.

Medical Treatments: Radioisotopes

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to (a) support the rollout of nuclear medicines across the NHS and (b) prevent regional variations in access to those medicines.

Edward Argar: Nuclear medicine is already used widely in the National Health Service in England to diagnose and treat a variety of diseases. NHS England and NHS Improvement routinely fund licensed medicines that have been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence or off-label use of licensed medicines that have been approved via the NHS England clinical commissioning policy process. NHS England and NHS Improvement commission positron emission tomography/computed tomography scan while other diagnostic imaging involving nuclear medicine is commissioned by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). It is for CCGs to commission those services according to the needs of their local population.